Sri Lanka Remains the Global Leader in Tea Exports

Sri Lanka continued its dominance in the global tea trade. In 2014, Sri Lanka exported 325 thousand tonnes of tea totaling 1,609 million USD, 5% over the previous year. Its primary trading partner was the Russian Federation, where it supplied 14% of its total tea exports in value terms, accounting for 35% of the Russian Federation's total imports.

From 2007 to 2014, Sri Lanka was a net exporter of tea. Over this period, exports consistently exceeded imports in value terms. However, in physical terms, the difference was less pronounced.

China and India were among the other main global suppliers of tea in 2014. However, the fastest growing exporters from 2007 to 2014 were Poland (+27% per year) and the U.S. (+13% per year). China strengthened its position in the global export structure.

In 2014, Sri Lanka's top 5 trading partners were the Russian Federation, Turkey, Iran, Iraq and the United Arab Emirates, with a combined 48% share of Sri Lanka's tea exports. The share of Turkey increased (+8 percentage points), while the share of the United Arab Emirates illustrated negative dynamics (-8 percentage points).